FEARS that terrorists and economic migrants could be entering EU posing as refugees have been raised after Syria issued 10,000 passports in just one month through its embassy in Jordan.

Terrorists could be entering EU posing as refugees after Syria issues 10,000 passports

Lax new rules handed down from Damascus allows passports to be issued abroad with virtually no checks for just £250.

Experts said the system, which allows Syrian citizens abroad to get passports without referring their applications to the country’s central immigration control, could be abused by terrorists and people smugglers.

News of the staggering numbers being issued without proper checks comes amid warnings about the growing illegal trade in the documents fuelled by German and Swedish pledges to house any refugees from Syria.

Paul Nuttall, Ukip’s deputy leader said: “The sale of thousands of Syrian passports without any security checks will allow many more people claim to be refugees in order to access Europe.

“This system will be exploited, not only by criminal people trafficking gangs, but also terrorists trying to get jihadists into Europe.

“This is extremely alarming, but not in the slightest bit surprising, and shows why we must not cave to pressure and accept tens of thousands of unchecked asylum seekers”

The new measures, designed to raise badly needed foreign currency for Syria’s beleaguered Assad regime, came into force this summer.

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A document sent to all Syrian embassies in April raised the spectre of mass fraud by non-Syrians by appearing to show that those without any form of existing ID could buy the vital paperwork allowing them to leave the country and head to the EU.

In the memo, embassy staff were told passports should be issued to Syrians “even if they left in an illegal manner or they hold non-official passports or travel documents.”

Jordan houses close to a million Syrians fleeing their country’s bloody civil war.

Since the announcement that new passports will be issued for £250 and old ones renewed for £125, there have been constant queues at the embassy in Amman.

There are people who are in Turkey now who buy fake Syrian passports because they know Syrians get the right to asylum in all the member states of the EU

Frontex boss Fabrice Leggeri

Similar scenes have been reported in Lebanon, another neighbouring country with vast numbers of Syrian refugees.

Sources in the Jordanian capital Amman said 10,000 passports were issued at the embassy in August alone.

Because of the growing crisis inside Syria where government forces are waging war with Islamic State fighters, millions of residents have fled the country.

They are being given priority for asylum in many European countries including Germany and Sweden, regardless of where they enter the EU.